


One Night Only

by Ember_Eyes_are_for_Tigers, PailetteHazel



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Implied Sexual Content, Implied nudity (non-sexual), Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Numbness, Remus mention, True Love's Kiss, curse, fairytale inspired, song inspired prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22254700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ember_Eyes_are_for_Tigers/pseuds/Ember_Eyes_are_for_Tigers, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PailetteHazel/pseuds/PailetteHazel
Summary: Roman is cursed to spend each day as a swan. At night, he turns back into a human and has to try to find his true love and break the spell. He has to be careful: because each day at dawn he turns back and has to wait another day.After so many nights of failed attempts, Roman has almost given up hope. But then, one fateful night, he encounters someone very special...One night only, we only have till dawn.One night only, one night only,One night only, let’s not pretend you care.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

The moon reflected on the lake in such a poetic way Roman was stolen of his breath. As the silence of it all reached to him, waves just a quiet crashing on the white sand, Roman could only stare a sigh leaving his lips. But, as much as the moon was poetic it also held a curse that was tied around Roman’s heart. And, as the light of the moon reached to his place on the white brilliant sand, the ritual began all over again.

The bright light was as blinding as the pain expanded from his very core to the point of his feathers, changing and mutating.  
The soft touch of feathers fusing together and gaining colour as it expanded to make space for the shifting bones and muscles. He had hoped that after so many transformations the pain would have dulled enough to make the transformation only uncomfortable. Or natural.

But, every time, it felt like his soul shifted. Something tied to his core and that hurt more than anything his body was suffering against.  
And then, there was a human body on the white sand. Catching their breath as the pain finally subsided to an easy to ignore throb.  
With a sigh the now human, who still went by the name of Roman no matter how much the curse distorted his physical appearance, shakily got on his feet, reaching for the hidden clothes from the night prior.

Another day, another night, another week. Roman wasn’t sure how long it had been: just the cyclus of day and night had been important. 

____

“Every day, every night, every week you keep boasting, you egotistical prick!” The sorcerer fumed with pent up irritation. “Oh, all the handsome men know your name, and oh, every pretty boy knows the way into your arms, don’t they?” The subject of his rants, a feather as white as snow, remained silent. Even when the man’s gestures became even more erratic. “The prince of everyone’s dreams. I bet if you wanted to, you wouldn’t be able to find a smidge of this “true love” you claim to have found every weekend.” 

Some strange looking plants were ripped roughly from their hanging pot and added to a powdery substance. The resulting mixture was thrown on the table and the jealous sorcerer smeared it into an intricate form. Then, he put down a feather on one side and reached into his pocket. A strand of hair, cut off when Roman had fallen asleep after a long night out. “Sleep well, dear brother.” The man snickered. “It will be your last careless night.”  
____

Roman shuddered. It was starting to get cold here, at the lake: the blinking city lights at the shore seemed warm and inviting.   
Time to dare and proceed to roam the many clubs and cafes that could be found around the city. Not to find someone who could break the curse, but to distract himself and forget the always repeating, and always scarring curse. How the same thing would repeat tomorrow, and the day after that, until the curse would be destroyed.   
By love, something he was beginning to doubt the mere existence of, or by his death.

His feet were heavy and his heart even more as he walked towards the beautiful city, a kingdom of stars brought from the sky to the earth.   
He had counted the time that took him to the lake to the city once, or maybe a thousand times, difficult to say when the routine had been digging into him like an iron knife. It took him forty two minutes walking, thirty running and slithering on the ground like a snake took him nearly two hours. The latter had not been a fun night.

Finally reaching the first rays of civilisation, Roman found his footsteps to grow lighter as bars and clubs, and people’s loud laughter started to fill his surroundings. A grin, a charming one he had learned how to master, took its place on his face as the temptation of hiding in a club with the rhythm of music pounding against his ears and the life of people dancing around him crashed against him like a wave. It was inebriating just to think about.  
But, then, as he started walking towards his habitual club of preference, the sign of a new cafè took his interest.  
It was small, with yellow walls and potted plants proudly in display, and the soft light illuminating the cozy place. But, it wasn’t the cafè that stole his interest, but, rather, the only human present.  
And, without realising, Roman found himself walking in, towards him, eyes fixed and his heart finally singing a melody of its own.

There were no words to describe how gorgeous the man was, even as he did something as plain and domestic as sitting on the counter, warm beverage in hand and dark eyes, as dark and poetic as the night sky (but much more lovely than what Roman had grown to resent), hidden behind round glasses, lost in thought. His hair was softly cascading around him, brown locks and slightly messy.   
When the man looked up at him, those gorgeous eyes seeing him, Roman nearly gasped in surprise, cheeks brightening up.  
The man then smiled, and Roman could have sworn that he had never seen something as stunning as that smile.  
“You seem lost? Want to have a hot chocolate?”  
In the moment Roman could have sworn his heart skipped a beat.   
“Alright.”

The man's smile brightened and he hopped off the counter, disappearing behind it. Roman looked around with uncertainty for a moment, but then, the man popped up with a steaming mug in his hands.   
"Careful, it's hot." Roman grinned easily, falling into his careless persona. "Don't worry, I know how to handle hot stuff, clearly." 

Winking he took the beverage rather carefully from his hands and blew on it before taking a small sip. His eyes widened slightly at the taste.   
He might have to admit he had not known what a hot chocolate tasted like prior to that moment. He'd always preferred the daze of something stronger. But tasting the sweet content of the cup blew his mind. 

They spent the night in the café. Roman was careful not to reveal too much about himself. There was no need to remind him that this was just another night that would end at some point.  
This calming night felt different to the wild nights that Roman had previously lived. Roman, though, didn’t like it any less, especially with the cafe owner who had introduced himself as Patton. With his soft spoken words, dark and entrancing eyes and lips looking softer than Roman could have ever imagined lips could be. It took him all of his willpower not to lean in and kiss him.

This however did not stop him from imagining how it felt to have his fingers through his hair, to caress the warm skin and murmur into kisses his undying love for the other.

Not that Patton would ever feel the same way, of course.


	2. Chapter 2

With a sharp intake of air Roman noticed that the sky outside had begun to lighten, and with a shock he realised he’d forgotten the time. Patton looked at him with concern. Roman shook his head, in a panic. The other would never understand. “I..I have to leave.” he stuttered, apologetic. 

Before Patton could ask why, Roman rushed out of the cafe and dashed back to the lake, hoping the sun would be late today. Idiot, he internally scolded himself. Lost in the eyes of a stranger, even though you know it is only temporary. Why didn’t you tell them you only had till the sun came up?

Gasping for air, he ran through the suburbs, until finally he reached the side of the lake. Abandoned at this hour, as always. He discarded his clothes and hid them. And just in time: the sun peeked over the horizon, shining their golden glow over the lake. And just as the beams hit the water, Roman felt that familiar pain shoot through him as he shrunk and transformed into a bird again.

Roman stretched his snow white wings and let out an anguished cry. He had abandoned Patton without an explanation: he couldn't imagine how the other man must have felt as he stormed out. If it hadn’t been for this stupid curse, they could have talked more and who knows, meet again. But now that opportunity was ruined forever.

A small voice in the back of his head reminded him that it wasn’t the first time he had left someone hanging. That Patton was just another name in the list of handsome men that would be disappointed, but would move on eventually. After all, it was impossible that he would have fallen in love with him in one night.. right?

As the sun tinted the world in its warm light, Roman let himself be abandoned on the placid lake. Drifting without cause on the water mirror, his mind numb as it tried to hide his feelings. 

Tried shoving into a tiny box in the back of his mind the pain, worse than a stab at the heart, at the thought of not being able to see the soft man. How he could never again hear his voice or his laugh, and would never experience his lips against his own and how- for the first time- it truly stinged how he wouldn’t see one of the men that he would spend the time with again. Maybe it meant something, although, as the sun rose in the sky and his swan stomach started grumbling, he guessed it didn’t mean anything.

And like he drifted on the waters without any meaning or sense, the day went on.

After a long day, seemingly more uneventful than all the others before it, Roman longed to transform for once. The moonlight hit the lake and it was painful as ever, but at least he would be able to look for Patton again.

Roman allowed himself to breathe for a moment, take in the night sky and then scrambled to his clothes. Almost feverishly, he threw them on. It was useless, he thought, Patton would be long gone, and he would have long forgotten about that stranger that had disappeared so sudden.  
He hid the tremor of his hands by shoving them in his pockets and beginning the long trek to the city. 

Returning through those streets, that had become less like a city and more like a labyrinth that would trap him until dawn, was like icy cold water being dumped on him. Terrible to suffer through it. He had one goal, one person in mind.

But fate seemed to play a cruel trick on him: as soon as the café from last night came in sight, Roman noticed that there were no warm lights and hot beverages. No Patton. The establishment was closed. A sharp intake of air, and Roman felt his gut twist before he left, running deeper into the city's nightlife and suppressing the stinging of his eyes.

Finally he staggered to a wall, close to some night club he didn’t care to remember the name of, he willed his heartbeat to relax and his breathing to stop its frantic run. He would not think about Patt- him.  
He would not think at all tonight.   
With the last tormenting thought, he walked in the night club, throwing himself in the arms of strangers. But, no matter how inebriated he got, no matter how many lips he kissed or how much skin he felt under his fingertips, there was always a reoccurring face that came back.  
Tired and smiling. As if no matter how terrible the world was, or how unsolvable the problems he suffered from were, everything will be solved with a Happily Ever After.   
Roman knew it couldn’t. Or, at least, his life would never end with an ending as sweet as Patton, or anything even close to him.

The thoughts had brought him to wander outside again, searching for fresh air, and ended up walking aimlessly.  
He didn’t remember when tears began striking down his face, maybe when he had first contacted the cool night air, or when his feet began to ache, probably as he was dancing between the warmth of all those bodies, or when the streets began to be so familiar. It felt like being in a dream.  
Except Roman knew damn well how true it all was, how it wasn’t a dream, but his life. A life he got trapped to suffer through, imprisoned in his own flesh and body.

“Roman?”  
Hearing his name being called, he turned on his heels finding himself staring at a pair of familiar eyes.  
“Patton?”  
The man looked concerned, his brown hair framing his face. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"   
Roman offered a weak smile, rubbing away the tears. “I just- you look like a devine mirage, you know?”  
Patton’s cheeks got tinted by such a warm and lovely colour that Roman couldn't stop a grin from spreading on his face. “I- I, well, thank you. Are you- are you returning home? It’s pretty late and you look- pretty ruffled up.”

"I couldn't find you." Roman muttered. "The café.." "It's closed on Monday." Patton said softly. "I understand why you didn't know that though, we've only been open for a few days." 

Roman nodded, not having the energy to clarify his situation to Patton. "I'm.. I thought you wouldn't want to talk to me again.. after what happened yesterday." Patton blinked, then shaked his head quickly, hair bouncing. "Oh, oh no! Roman, I wanted to meet you again tonight! Yes, you left quickly but.. I'm sure you had a good reason. You're one of the most interesting guests I've had so far and.. and I want to know more about you!" Patton rambled, talking fast much like last night, and Roman never wanted to interrupt. 

The cruel cycle of day and night had other plans, however. Roman knew he had spent most of the night on his own and that the sun would rise again soon.


	3. Chapter 3

He looked at Patton again. "I wanted to find you again, please, I have to go, stay with me." The other man looked at him with a mixture of pity and confusion in their eyes. "Oh dear. Do you want me to bring you home? I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Roman had never revealed his secret to anyone, no human he'd met knew about his curse. But Patton.. Patton was different, Roman wanted him to know, to tell him about himself and his cruel fate. He trusted him, more than he had trusted anyone before.  
Exhaling a shaky breath, Roman grasped Patton’s hand in his.  
“You must promise me to never speak of what I’m about to show you to anyone.”

“Wh- Roman!”  
However, Patton could hardly protest as Roman took him in his arms, as if he were a bride, and ran.  
Fair to say, when they reached the outside of the city and, Roman’s pace slowing in a walk, once they reached the path towards the lake both of their faces were a bright crimson. 

Roman set down the other, and felt his heart beating in his chest. Yes, nobody knew his secret, but he felt like he could trust Patton. Because he wanted, no, needed to be honest about himself if he ever wanted a chance at being with him. 

Patton looked at the lake, then back to Roman. "It's, it's beautiful, but I don't understand-" Roman cut him off by taking their hand and cupping it with his own. "I spoke the truth when I said I didn't have much time. What's about to happen, its- it does every day, I'll be back when night falls." 

Patton looked concerned, but Roman winced and pulled away, noticing the first golden beams creep over the horizon. 

Patton gasped as the others' face twisted in agony, a light shine and the guy he had come to know as Roman shrunk, his form twisted and.. white wings extended. And then it was over.

On the sand where Roman had been standing was now a pile of clothes and... a beautiful swan, looking up at Patton with a certain sadness in its eyes. "Roman?!" Patton whispered from behind his hands. 

Roman’s, well, the swans eyes seemed to soften at the words, and prodded against Patton’s leg with its head. Nuzzling at it, as if to answer the other’s question. Patton let himself fall to his knees, his mind slowly processing the information, although, it felt like something was missing. How was it possible that someone as charming and kind as Roman had been cursed as a swan. Or was actually a swan that became human during the morning?  
What was the truth?

He was left sitting on the border of the lake, Roman left and returned on short trips across the reflective water surface. At times, with fish, and the swan watched Patton expectantly. Patton didn't leave. 

He understood now, what Roman had meant and why he had fled, the first night. "You must have been so lonely." He said to the bird who had joined him on the lakeside again. A soft noise was made in response. Did Roman even understand him in this form?

The only thing Patton could cling to were Roman's words. He would be back when the night fell. And so the human waited, sitting by the lake until the sun would go down again.

This day seemed the shortest of all, because for the first time that Roman had been cursed, he had company of someone who understood him. Patton had only gone away briefly to get some food for himself. 

The kind man shared it with Roman, and the two curled up beside each other on the warm sand. The swan was tightly nuzzled against the other, and felt.. safe. 

So much time had passed since Roman had felt so wholeheartedly safe, not just by a physical standpoint, but, even emotional. Next to Patton he felt free of being vulnerable and quiet.

The sun started setting, hours later, although they only felt like quick instants that Roman had spent by observing the other. And, with it Patton has fallen into a light slumber. A part of him didn’t want to break the embrace, but he didn’t want to hurt Patton as he transformed, so the swan softly left the side of the sleeping man.

“Patton? Patton, wake up.”  
The cafe owner groaned softly and rubbed his eyes, trying to remember where he was. In front of him, framed by the soft moonlight, sat a handsome man looking at him expectantly. “Roman? Oh, Roman!”  
The smile Patton that graced his face was wide, relieved to be able to talk to the other again. He sat up straighter and folded his hands. “So this happens… Every night?” 

Roman nodded, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment:  
“Yeah.. You’re the first one who knows though.”  
Patton nodded slowly, the realisation that Roman trusted him seeping in his bones and leaving him astounded. “Can it be.. undone?” Roman sighed, and that was enough of an answer. 

“Every curse has a way out. I have just given up hope a long time ago.”  
Patton’s eyes encouraged him to continue, however. In a slow murmur, Roman did: “When my brother cursed me, he said something about how only true love could save me. I don’t know how much he was being sarcastic though…” Roman confessed, a bit on edge, “Since I was a player who would never commit to something genuine.”

Patton listened, curiously, his empathetic heart aching for the other. “But why are you telling me all this? You’ve kept it a secret for so long.” Roman sighed and gazed away, avoiding eye contact and restlessly playing with some sand in his hands. 

“You’re... special, Patton. There is no way I can explain this feeling I have when I see you. You’re so kind, and warm, and when I had left you I thought you would hate me... but you didn’t.” Roman rubbed his eye, and Patton then realised how the other was so close to tearing up. He wanted to scoot over, embrace the other, however, before he could, Roman opened his mouth again: “Maybe you’re just kind and that’s all. But, my instincts tell me different. There’s something about you, Patton.” 

A low chuckle followed, “Maybe it’s how your hair catches the moonlight, or how your eyes shine so bright they could be exchanged for stars, or… or because it’s you. But, you’re so special and-“  
A groan cut through his words, as Roman massaged the bridge of his nose.  
“I’m sorry, it’s so hard. It’s so difficult to express this weird feeling and, especially so, since I don’t want to scare you away.”

Roman was fumbling with his words, in vain trying to explain a sensation he felt every time he saw Patton, terrified of not being understood. And, if there was something that Patton could understand, it was that feeling.

So, gathering up all the courage he had the soft man leaned in.

Roman’s voice fell quiet, his thoughts running to a halt, as soft lips reached his own and everything seemed to finally fit perfectly.  
Every time he went outside at night, between boredom and disappointment, and kissed strangers it always felt different. Everyone felt different and somewhat wrong (which Roman had always thought it was the alcohol’s fault).  
But, now as his hands went through Patton’s soft curls and they deepened the kiss, it felt perfect. As if he was in a fairytale and the lovely man in his arms was his Prince come to save him.


End file.
